Country: UK
Genre: Action / Crime / Drama / Fantasy / Romance / Thriller
Direction: Simon Fellows
Cast: Maggie Grace, Danny Dyer, Matt King and Nathaniel Parker
An American law student in London. Knocked down by a black cab, she wakes with amnesia in a world that's a million miles from home - Wonderland. We follow her adventures as she's dragged through an underworld filled with twisted individuals and the lowest low-lifers, by the enigmatic cab driver, Whitey. She needs to find out who she is, where she's from and use what wits she has left to get back home in one piece. As her journey progresses she discovers nothing is what it seems, realizes that fate and life are terminally entwined, and finds true love lurking in the unlikeliest place.
Download Malice in Wonderland (2009)
Movie Review:
Packed with references to Lewis Carroll's classic, this modern-day London romp is extremely well-made and nicely played by the strong cast. On the other hand, the British crime genre is more than a little tired by now.
Alice is a young woman (Grace) running from a couple of thugs when she's hit by a cab driven by Whitey (Dyer). She can't remember who she is, so he takes her along to meet the gangster Gonzo (King). Then Whitey learns that her wealthy dad (Hagon) is offering a $10 million reward for her return. And as Alice travels around London following clues to her identity, she meets a variety of eccentric characters. Ultimately, Whitey and Alice converge on a nightclub run by the mob boss Harry (Parker).
The filmmakers develop a lively atmosphere that races through the story as everyone tries to figure out how they can get their hands on that ransom money, while Whitey's only concern is to keep Alice safe. The problem is that all of the genre touches (both crime caper and romantic comedy) make it fairly predictable, even when events take rather nutty turns. So much of the fun to be had is in the visual inventiveness and all of the Alice in Wonderland references.
Certainly, the film looks whizzy and fun, with lush widescreen cinematography, colourfully lurid effects and an increasingly stylised, surreal style that blends Las Vegas with East London. Sometimes this feels somewhat forced--wackiness for wackiness' sake--but it's still fun to watch. On the other hand, Whitey's to-camera chatter gets rather annoying, as does dialog that's delivered like beat poetry. And one obnoxious time-shift plot point stretches our good will to the breaking point.
Still, this is impressively confident filmmaking, with some strong characters emerging from the general mayhem. The plot's anecdotal structure links together a series of outrageous mini-adventures in some visually stunning locations populated by lively characters. And a few garish performances (including juicy cameos from the likes of Ferris, Kaye and Lynn) only add to the film's witty design and chaotic tone.
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